China – Update of the Textiles Standard for Hosiery

March 20, 2017

SAFEGUARDS | Softlines NO. 041/17

Textiles standard FZ/T 73001-2016<Hosiery> was approved and issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China, and will be implemented on April 1, 2017. This updated version will replace FZ/T 73001-2008<Hosiery>. It is designed to standardize the quality of men’s and women’s hosiery. It is not applicable to pressure socks, warp-knitted hosiery, sports socks, ladder-proof hosiery and hosiery for infants below 36 months.

The new version of the standard adjusts the application scope and hosiery classification. The standard also requires that the label of children’s hosiery meet the mandatory standard GB 31701 and GB 5296.4 requirements. The significant technical updates are summarized in the table below:

Item	Technical Requirement of New Version	Significant Update
Application scope	The standard is applicable to identify the quality of men’s and women’s hosiery. It is not applicable to pressure socks, warp-knitted hosiery, sports socks, ladder-proof hosiery and hosiery for infants below 36 months.	Adjusted the application scope to men’s and women’s hosiery. Added the non-application scope especially for infant hosiery.
Terms and definitions	Definitions for hosiery size. Definitions for nonelastic hosiery, elastic hosiery with heel, elastic hosiery without heel, elastic hosiery without setting, hosiery with single layer bottom and hosiery with reinforced bottom.	Added the definitions for hosiery size Added the definitions for nonelastic hosiery, elastic hosiery with heel, elastic hosiery without heel, elastic hosiery without setting, hosiery with single layer bottom and hosiery with reinforced bottom. Removed the definitions for thin cotton sock, thick cotton sock, sock in core-spun spandex yarn, sock interwoven in high stretch nylon/core-spun spandex yarn, sock inter-woven in polyamide filament/ core-spun spandex yarn, sock inter-woven in cotton yarn/core-spun spandex yarn.
Product Classification	Hosieries are divided to nonelastic hosiery and elastic hosiery (including with and without heels). Hosieries are divided into hosiery with and without heel by style. Hosiery with heel includes ship socks. Hosiery without heel includes short socks, mid-calf length socks, stocking and pantyhose. Pantyhose include with setting, with heel and open-toed style.	Product classification was totally changed in this version.
Appearance quality requirements	Picture 2 Ship socks Table 1 nonelastic hosiery with heel size specification and tolerance. Table 2 elastic hosiery with heel size specification and tolerance Table 3 elastic hosiery without heel size specification and tolerance	Added the picture 2. Added the Tables 1-3 and removed the Tables 1-6 for thin cotton sock, thick cotton sock, sock in core-spun spandex yarn, sock interwoven in high stretch nylon/core-spun spandex yarn, sock inter-woven in polyamide filament/ core-spun spandex yarn, sock inter-woven in cotton yarn/core-spun spandex yarn. Removed Table 7 size specification grade requirements.
Stretch in lengthwise and widthwise: hosiery	Table 5 nonelastic hosiery with heel size stretch in lengthwise and widthwise. Table 6 elastic hosiery with heel stretch in lengthwise and widthwise. Table 7 elastic hosiery without heel stretch in lengthwise and widthwise.	Revised Tables 9-15 Stretch in lengthwise and widthwise: hosiery for thin cotton sock, thick cotton sock, sock in core-spun spandex yarn, sock interwoven in high stretch nylon/core-spun spandex yarn, sock inter-woven in polyamide filament/ core-spun spandex yarn, sock inter-woven in cotton yarn/core-spun spandex yarn.
Formaldehyde	Follow GB 18401 requirements	Revised from A category: 20 mg/kg, B category: 75 mg/kg to GB 18401 requirements
pH	Follow GB 18401 requirements	Revised from 4.0-7.5 to GB 18401 requirements
Odour	Follow GB 18401 requirements	Revised from None to GB 18401 requirements
AZO	Follow GB 18401 requirements	Revised from Forbidden use to GB 18401 requirements
Fiber content	Follow GB/T 29862 requirements	Revised from FZ/T 01053 to GB/T 29862 requirements
Sampling for fiber content	Instep or sole of the hosiery	Revised from instep to instep or sole of the hosiery
Labeling	Follow GB 31701 and GB 5296.4 requirements	Revised from follow GB 5296.5 to follow GB 31701 and GB 5296.4
Mandatory requirements for Children’s hosiery	Follow GB 31701 requirements	Added mandatory requirements for Children’s hosiery

Once the new version of the standard becomes effective, hosiery companies should update the labelling of their products accordingly and follow the technical requirements in the new standard in order to legally sell their products in the Chinese market.

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